Ja 186 The Story about (King) Dadhivāhana
(Dadhivāhanajātaka)
In the present a monk ordained under the Buddha is easily persuaded to partake of Devadatta’s good food, rather than go on almsround. He is brought to the Buddha who tells a story of how a sweet mango tree and its fruits were turned bitter by being surrounded by nimb trees.
1. Vaṇṇagandharasūpeto, amboyaṁ ahuvā pure,
Tam-eva pūjaṁ labhamāno, kenambo kaṭukapphalo ti?
This mango was previously endowed with colour, fragrance, taste, was received with honour, why is this mango now a bitter fruit?
2. Pucimandaparivāro ambo te Dadhivāhana,
Mūlaṁ mūlena saṁsaṭṭhaṁ, sākhā sākhā nisevare,
Asātasannivāsena tenambo kaṭukapphalo ti.
Dadhivāhana, your mango is surrounded by nimba trees, the roots are mixed up with roots, the branches are entwined with branches, through association with the bad the mango has bitter fruit.
In this connection, surrounded by nimba trees means surrounded by nimba trees. Wikipedia: Azadirachta indica, commonly known as neem, nimtree or Indian lilac, is a tree in the mahogany family Meliaceae.
The branches are entwined with branches, the branches of the nimba tree are entwined with the branches of the mango tree.
Through association with the bad, through association with those nimba trees lacking in sweetness.
Through that, for that reason this mango has bitter fruit, bad fruit, astringent fruit.